India's leader offers talks on disputed region

SRINAGAR, India — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made his first visit as India's leader to the disputed Kashmir region Wednesday and offered to hold unconditional peace talks with any separatists there who would shun violence.

But a moderate separatist leader expressed disappointment at the invitation, which came as India began a partial withdrawal of troops from the region.

"My brothers and sisters, my doors are open to all those who are ready to talk to me peacefully," Singh said from behind a wall of bulletproof glass and steel plate here in the summer capital of India's Jammu and Kashmir state.

"My heart is open to new ideas--if they are based on honesty and truthfulness. With these new ideas, we might move forward and live a dignified life."

Singh, who took office in May, made the offer in a speech at a cricket field just hours after Indian troops fought and killed two militants holed up a few hundred yards from the stadium.

A moderate leader of a loose coalition of Kashmiri separatists, called the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, said Kashmiris were disappointed because Singh did not offer specific solutions to the 57-year conflict over Kashmir.

Maulana Abbas Hussain Ansari, former chairman of the Hurriyat's moderate faction, also said he wasn't impressed by Singh's decision to begin withdrawing thousands of troops Wednesday.

"People expected a political package and not just the reduction of occupying forces," Ansari said in an interview. "The number of troops does not matter much. What matters is how they behave with the people. So they should be directed to act as security forces, not as occupying forces."

Indian officials say there are about 250,000 soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir state. But according to neighboring Pakistan, the combined army and paramilitary police forces number closer to 700,000.